Ben Patterson wrote in an article entitled “Resurrection and Pandemonium,” “Imagine the mystery and delight of not just hearing, but seeing the story of Jesus for the first time, almost as an eyewitness. / That’s what happened to a primitive tribe in the jungles of East Asia, when missionaries showed them the Jesus film. Not only had these people never heard of Jesus, they had never seen a motion picture. Then, all at once, on one unforgettable evening, they saw it all-the gospel in their own language, visible and real. / Imagine again how it felt to see this good man Jesus, who healed the sick and was adored by children, held without trial and beaten by jeering soldiers. As they watched this, the people came unglued. They stood up and began to shout at the cruel men on the screen, demanding that this outrage stop. / When nothing happened, they attacked the missionary running the projector. Perhaps he was responsible for this injustice! He was forced to stop the film and explain that the story wasn’t over yet, that there was more. So they settled back onto the ground, holding their emotions in tenuous check. / Then came the crucifixion. Again, the people could not hold back. They began to weep and wail with such loud grief that once again the film had to be stopped. The missionary again tried to calm them, explaining that the story still wasn’t over, that there was more. So they composed themselves and sat down to see what happened next. / Then came the resurrection. Pandemonium broke out this time, but for a different reason. The gathering had spontaneously erupted into a party. The noise now was of jubilation, and it was deafening. The people were dancing and slapping each other on the back. Christ is risen, indeed! / Again the missionary had to shut off the projector. But this time he didn’t tell them to calm down and wait for what was next. All that was supposed to happen-in the story and in their lives-was happening.” (filed “Resurrection and Response,” Indexed illustrations, LJ email, 4-13-04).
    We have to admit, it’s pretty easy to lose that sense of joy and wonder at the resurrection of Jesus. It’s a story we have heard over and over again. But of all events in human history, this event, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is the most pivotal, most defining, most life-changing event.
    We gather this Easter to remember and reflect and be renewed in our appreciation that Jesus is alive. And we must ask, because the resurrection of Jesus happened, what is different about those who believe in him?
    We will review the story of Jesus meeting with the whole group of his disciples following his resurrection, and we will discover three characteristics of people whose lives have been changed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    Please turn to Luke 24:35-53

I. The story of the life-changing moment for the disciples.
A. Luke 24:35-43 – the disciples were “troubled” and uncertain (see 24:11-12, 22-24). Jesus reassured them of his life, and he gave evidence of his physical resurrection. He showed them his hands and feet, and he ate a meal with them.
B. Luke 24:44-48 - He explained the Scriptures, that it was predicted in the Hebrew Scriptures that he would suffer, rise from the dead, and that the message of forgiveness would go worldwide. The disciples would be witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection. This was the next stage of their followership. The story and work of Christ would continue, and they were to be a major part of it.
C. Luke 24:50-53 - The disciples worshiped Jesus and carried on with joy and anticipation – even in the midst of great change! Their hopes were not dashed!
    This was the moment that changed their lives. If Jesus was still dead, all he said and did, all he promised, died with him. But he was alive, and they could not contain the joy.

II. Three characteristics of people whose lives have been changed by the resurrection of Jesus.
A. We live in the continual joy of forgiveness and new life (vss. 50-53).
    Rediscover the joy, if you have lost it. All the promises, hopes and plans are shattered, if Jesus is still in the grave, but if he is alive, and he is, all that God has promised will come true. The forgiveness he offers is real; your resurrection and the eternal life that he promised will happen. So it is only natural for us to be filled with joy and wonder and worship! If you have ever experienced the weight of your own sin, and then experienced the peace that comes from forgiveness, you have cause for joy. The message of the Resurrection and gospel promises forgiveness to all (from all nations) who repent (vs. 47)
    If you have not yet turned to Jesus Christ, and accepted the free gift of life and forgiveness he offers, trust him today and experience this joy with us.

B. We become witnesses of Jesus’ life and work (vss. 47-48).
    ”After Easter [one] year, a woman approached a pastor … and asked, “So what happened with Jesus after the Resurrection?” “Well, he ascended into heaven and he’s still alive,” the pastor said. “I know he was resurrected, but he’s alive?” she said. “Yes, he’s alive.” “Alive? ALIVE?! Why didn’t you tell me!!” For the next two weeks, she telephoned everyone she knew and exclaimed, “Jesus is ALIVE! Did you know he’s ALIVE?!”" (LJ email, 4-13-04, filed as “Resurrection and Response,” indexed).
    It’s hard to hide joy! We usually tell others when we celebrate something (like when our favorite team wins the championship). Don’t hide the fact that you are celebrating Jesus Christ.

C. We live our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit (vs. 49).
    The disciple Peter was transformed from a coward (in Luke) to a man of courage (in Acts). That’s the power of the Holy Spirit. How is it that we can be filled with joy more consistently? How is it that we can have the courage to tell others about Jesus and what he has done for us, and for them? How can we hang in there through the ups and downs of life?
    It’s by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is with us, and he works everyday miracles in our lives, as we allow him, enabling us to do what God wants us to do and become what God wants us to become.

    A divorced father wrote, “My son began commuting between his two homes at age 4. The commuter flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles were the only times a parent wasn’t  lording over him, so he was able to order Coca_cola, forbidden at home; flight attendants didn’t care about cavities.  But such benefits were insignificant when contrasted with his pre_flight nightmares about plane crashes.  One winter he was to fly not to LA but to New York, where his mother and stepfather were spending Christmas.  During the preparations for the visit, he learned that he would have to change planes en route.  Late at night, long after I had put him to bed, he crept into the living room and climbed onto my lap, trembling.  When I asked him what the matter was, he said, ‘I don’t want to change planes.’      I told him not to worry, but he was unconvinced.  Amid sobs, he asked, ‘What if I fall off the wing?’     ‘What will you be doing on the wing?’      ‘Changing plans,’ he said.  ‘I might fall off when I’m walking from one to the other.’” (NYT Book Review.)
    Like for this little boy, life is filled with unknowns, with things we feel we should be afraid of. Often, without God’s help, we have good reason to fear. But with God’s help we can live confidently and courageously. The power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us!

    “The company of the discouraged is a very noble company. Not too long ago, the Hayden Planetarium in New York City issued an invitation to all those who were interested in applying to be a part of the crew on the first journey to another planet. Eighteen thousand people applied. They gave the applications to a panel of psychologists, who examined them thoroughly and came to the conclusion that in the vast majority of incidents, those who applied did so because they were discouraged with their lives here and hoped they could find a new life somewhere else.”  [Citation: Bruce Thielemann, “Dealing with Discouragement,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 48. LJ Email, 7-22-03 Encouragement, Discouragement; The Company of the Discouraged]
    We all face times of discouragement. Discouragement involves disappointment, times of frustration, anger, mounting difficulties, changed plans and dreams, people bailing out on you, feeling emotionally and spiritually weak, being tired, facing losses of loved ones or a home or a job or our health. It is when we are struggling to press on and maybe even ready to give up.
    How do we effectively deal with discouragement?
Text: Acts 18:1-17. [Ministry in Corinth, leading to the conclusion of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey (18:22; had begun in 15:36)].

I. The Discouragement of Paul, a servant of God on a mission of God’s.
    Context: called by the will of God to Macedonia (after plans to go elsewhere). But faced opposition and pretty quick exits from the first three cities he visited! (One might begin to wonder what God was up to, or if we even understood his will in the first place!). Paul was on a mission, not vacation. But his was more than he was expecting.
    In 1 Cor 2:1-5, Paul says he came to Corinth in weakness and fear (vs. 3), but God’s power was at work, and was the reason for their faith. Also, he reflected on his frustration at leaving the believers in Thessalonica, under the threat of persecution (1 Thess 2:17-3:5).    

II. Dealing with Discouragement
What does God do? What should we do?

1. God surrounded Paul with key partners and teammates (vss. 1-3, 18).
    “Trust God to bring supportive people into your life, and be thankful for them when they help you.”
    Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a  surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a  communist Vietnamese prison.  He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
    One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
    ”How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.
    ”I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
    Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked  like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said ‘Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”
    Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
    Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.

2. God gave Paul financial support and the freedom to focus his efforts on preaching (vs. 5-6).
    “Do what you can do with the resources God has provided, and trust God to bring you help as you need it;” boundaries, flexibility, etc.

3. God gave Paul evidence of effectiveness (changed lives); he was making a difference (little signs, even) (vss. 7-8).
    “Recognize and be thankful for signs of success and blessing.” God is still at work, but when we are discouraged, we can easily overlook things for which to be thankful.

4. God gave Paul a personal word of encouragement, a reminder of God’s presence for the days ahead (vss. 9-11) (also 23:11, 27:23-24).
    Paul then stayed in Corinth a year and a half (vs. 11; for “some time,” vs. 18).
    “Remember and experience the ongoing presence of God in your life, through the Word, prayer, and the Spirit.” Note Isaiah 40:27-31 – God the everlasting God gives strength to the weary when they trust in him.

5. God gave Paul and Christians Roman legal freedom to keep preaching the gospel of Jesus (vss. 12-17; even though persecution and other forms of opposition remained).  Paul personally faced opposition and trials. So too the church itself. But God arranged circumstances so that his work could go forward.
    “’Allow’ God to be in control of things beyond your control, and recognize the ongoing presence of difficulties.” God allows us to face difficulties, even when we are serving him, but he encourages and strengthens us in those difficulties, so that we can continue to serve him.
    The year was 1920. The scene was the examining board for selecting missionaries. Standing before the board was a young man named Oswald Smith. One dream dominated his heart. He wanted to be a missionary. Over and over again, he prayed, “Lord, I want to go as a missionary for you. Open a door of service for me.” Now, at last, his prayer would be answered. When the examination was over, the board turned Oswald Smith down. He did not meet their qualifications. He failed the test. Oswald Smith had set his direction, but now life gave him a detour. What would he do? As Oswald Smith prayed, God planted another idea in his heart. If he could not go as a missionary, he would build a church which could send out missionaries. And that is what he did. Oswald Smith pastored The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada, which sent out more missionaries than any other church at that time. Oswald Smith brought God into the situation, and God transformed his detour into a main thoroughfare of service. [Brian L. Harbour, Rising Above the Crowd. (Bible.org)].

    Whatever circumstances God brings into your life, make the most of it to make a difference for God.

    When you are following God and his mission for your life, it will be difficult, and there will be times of discouragement. But hang in there – God will help you so that you can keep going and make a difference for his kingdom.

    We must a) be clear on what we believe, and 2) be able communicate the truth about Jesus, unashamedly and effectively, in a culture that is religiously plural and is intolerant of exclusive claims of “truth.”
    Text: Acts 17
    Preview: 4 elements of Paul’s proclamation to the cities of Thessalonica, Berea and Athens (environment, approach, content, and response), giving us 4 principles for effectively communicate the message of Jesus.

 1.The environment of the proclamation (the “where” and “who”): Proclaim God’s truth with an understanding of the audience.
(a) The Synagogue, to Jews and God-fearing Greeks
(b) The marketplace in Athens (vs. 17)
     i.Epicureans – valued pleasure (absence of pain and disturbance). Saw God as uninvolved (like deism) (Fernando, p. 474).
     ii.Stoics – believed in a supreme but impersonal god (pantheism); thought people should personal their duty, should resign themselves to living in harmony with nature and reason, even when painful; should pursue self-sufficiency (Fernando, p. 474).
“Stoicism and Epicureanism represent alternative attempts in pre-Christian paganism to come to terms with life, especially in times of uncertainty and hardship, and post-Christian paganism down to our own day has not been able to devise anything appreciably better” (Bruce, p. 351).
     iii.Pagan polytheistic idolatry (fear, they might have missed one; don’t offend any of the gods)
     iv.Today was face this philosophy: “objective truth cannot be known.” “Your truth is your truth, but don’t shove it down my throat”
(c)He connected with them in their culture, using elements of the culture to communicate the truth of God (e.g., altar to unknown God; quotes from their poets; vv. 22-23, 28, etc.)

 2.The approach of the proclamation (the “how”): Stand up for the truth about Jesus with gracious and patient proclamation.
(a)We must confront the society, and speak up about the truth of Jesus (all three cities)
(b)In general, Paul proclaimed, and also reasoned (vss. 2, 17), explained (vs. 3a) and proved (vs. 3a).
(c)Our confrontation is to be with grace and patience
     i.In Athens, Paul was “distressed” by the idols he saw, but he spoke without insulting or berating them.
    Kenn Gangel wrote, “I remember a Peanuts strip in which Peppermint Patty said to Linus, ‘I should be an evangelist. Today I convinced a kid that my religion was better than his.’ Linus responds, ‘How did you do that?’ Peppermint Patty says, ‘I hit him with my lunchbox.’”    (Gangel, Coaching Ministry Teams, p. 147). The alternative is found in 1 Peter 3:15-16, which says to be ready to give an answer about your hope, but with gentleness and respect.
     ii.Again, he took the time to connect with them in their culture, using elements of the culture to communicate the truth of God, because he wanted them to hear and understand the message his was bringing.

[cont.]

    There is such a thing as truth, and the message of the Word of God about Jesus is true. Let’s not be afraid to tell others!
    We must a) be clear on what we believe, and 2) be able communicate the truth about Jesus, unashamedly and effectively, in a culture that is religiously plural and is intolerant of exclusive claims of “truth.”
Text: Acts 17
Preview: 4 elements of Paul’s proclamation to the cities of Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, giving us 4 principles for effectively communicate the message of Jesus.

 1. (Review) The environment of the proclamation (the “where” and “who”): Proclaim God’s truth with an understanding of the audience.

 2. (Review) The approach of the proclamation (the “how”): Stand up for the truth about Jesus with gracious and patient proclamation.

 3.The content which is proclaimed (the “what”): Be clear on the core message of Christianity.
    (a) God is creator and sustainer of all (vss. 24-28). He is not just one of the “gods,” nor is he limited to a particular place like an idol. Nor does he need to be superstitiously appeased like the “gods.”
    (b) People must repent, turn from idols and worship the true God (vss. 29-30)
    (c) There is a coming judgment (vs. 31a)
    (d) Jesus is the agent of judgment, and his role is authenticated by the fact that God raised him from the dead (vs. 31b; see also v. 18) … [speech in Athens was interrupted here]
 i.Jesus is the Messiah of the Old Testament, in whom we must place our faith for salvation (vs. 3).

 4. The response to the proclamation: Expect a variety of responses, and don’t take it personally.
    Don’t be surprised if people reject the message and the messenger; and don’t be surprised when people come to faith in Jesus! Either way, it is not about us!
    (a) Some believed (a few); the Berean Jews checked what Paul said against the Hebrew Scriptures, hence are known as noble.
    (b) Some politely wanted more information
    (c) Many rejected
    (d) Some actively opposed the further proclamation of the message (in Thessalonica and Berea)

    What do we do?
    First, be clear on and convinced of what you believe. Examine new claims according to the Scriptures, like the Bereans.
    Second, behave consistently with your beliefs. Allow me to ask again, is your faith in Jesus satisfying? Is it “working” for you? It is real and genuine – do you experience it that way?
    Third, be prepared to explain and give a reason for your hope and faith in Jesus. In fact, find opportunities to share the message with the people around you.

Review: 4 principles for effectively proclaiming the message about Jesus.
1) Communicate with an understanding of the audience.
2) Stand up for the truth with grace and patience.
3) Be clear on the core message about Jesus.
4) Expect a variety of responses, and don’t take it personally.

    In the movie “Men in Black,” where Jones shows Smith around the office, Smith sees a map of the universe. Jones tells Smith that the earth is hanging in the balance [because of the presence of aliens among us, fighting cosmic battles], and it is their job to keep people from knowing about it so they can go on with their “peaceful” lives. That life and eternity are really hanging in the balance should motivate us to share the gospel. [Charles Zimmerman, tape from Sandy Cove, 2000]

    Gary Meadors in his book Decision Making God’s Way, recounts the story of trying to convince his then future father-in-law that Gary should marry the man’s daughter. Gary and his future wife were engaged on their second date. Gary writes, “For two days he grilled me about this whirlwind engagement and why I thought I should marry his daughter. At the midnight hour, when all seemed lost, I blurted out, ‘We are getting married because it is God’s will.’ That effectively ended the discussion. Gloria’s father was a happy camper; and I was relieved that the inquisition was over.”
    But Gary admits, that does not answer the question, how do you know it is the will of God?
    “When John Wesley was a 32-year-old missionary in Georgia, he fell deeply in love with a young woman he wanted to marry. Some of his friends suggested that perhaps God would have the evangelist remain unmarried and devote his life to his work. One even suggested they draw lots in order to discern God’s will for Wesley [it’s a little like rolling the dice]. The evangelist agreed. Three small slips of paper were prepared: one said, “Marry”; the second, “Think not of it this year”; and the third, “Think of it no more.” Wesley drew a slip and with much sadness read, “Think of it no more.” Heartbroken, he ended his courtship. Fifteen years later Wesley married a wealthy widow who became a hindrance to his ministry. After 20 years of mutual misery, she left him. He had allowed a [single sign] to determine his fortune.” (Woodrow Kroll, Early in the Morning email devotional, 2-27-03).
    Here is how he ended up marrying the wealthy widow: “While crossing a bridge in London, [Mr.] Wesley stumbled and sprained his ankle. Some friends carried him to the house of Mrs. Mary Vazielle on Threadneedle Street. She was a widow with several children. She cared for Wesley and his response to her concern was to ask her to marry him. If we were writing fiction we might say that the sprained ankle was God’s providential way to bring those people together. But the marriage was a disaster, and Mary finally left John. Had Wesley consulted with his brother Charles, and asked for the prayers of the brethren, he might have avoided that unfortunate situation. Mary was accustomed to her quiet home, and it was difficult for her to travel with her husband and stay in uncomfortable inns. It is unfortunate that Mary was not content just to ignore John’s ministry; she actually opposed it. She gave certain personal letters to his enemies and even made additions to them that made them worse! Once she even pulled her husband around on the floor by his hair! “I felt as though I could have knocked the soul out of her!” one of Wesley’s friends said. Wesley concluded that his unhappy marriage encouraged him to work harder and not complain about missing the comforts of a home. Certainly it encouraged him to be away from home more!” (Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers, W. Wiersbe, Moody Press, 1984, p. 246 (Bible.org, Marriage)).
    Was that “God’s will” for John Wesley? Was that the best choice he could have made in the situation? We know God works it all together for the good, but if a famous missionary and minister like John Wesley can seem to “mess up” on the will of God for key parts of his life, it should not be a surprise that “the rest of us” can mess up on the will of God for us.
    We are faced with a decision as a church. As individuals and families, we want to make a difference that lasts beyond our lifetimes. We want to see God work through us to bring others to himself and to help them grow as followers of Jesus Christ. In order to have the greatest impact for the kingdom of God with your life, we must be in the habit of being led by the Spirit of God.
    Turn with me please to Acts 15:36-16:15 (mainly 16:6-15).

I. Because God led Paul and his team to Macedonia, Lydia and others had the opportunity to come to faith in Jesus, as the first few of many throughout the Aegean Sea area (including Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus).
A. Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (15:36-41)
B. Telling the message of the Jerusalem Council, seeing churches grow, and adding Timothy to the team (16:1-5)
C. Leading and direction west to Macedonia (16:6-10)
    Paul and his team intended to go elsewhere, closer to home, but God decisively led them to the region of Macedonia, and to the city of Philippi.
D. Initial result – the faith of Lydia and her household (16:11-15)
    Lydia was a God-fearer, and when she heard the message from Paul and the team, God opened her heart to accept the message, and she demonstrated her faith in her desire to support Paul and his team in their ministry.

II. If you want to make a difference for the kingdom of God, it means being led by the Spirit of God, and demands a willingness to listen and obey. (How?)
    If you are not living according to God’s vision for your life (and for his people, the church), then he probably offers a lot of flexibility – it doesn’t much matter what you do, but you will miss out on the blessings he offers.

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    Once while Francis of Assisi was hoeing his garden, he was asked, “What would you do if you were suddenly told you would die at sunset today?” He replied, “I would finish hoeing my garden.” (Moody Monthly, April, 1990, p. 76.)
    One final story about John Wesley, who had the marriage troubles we mentioned earlier: A lady once asked John Wesley if he knew that he would die at midnight the next day, how would he spend the intervening time. He replied, “Why, madam, just as I intend to spend it now. I would preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning; after that I would ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the societies in the evening. I would then go to Martin’s house…talk and pray with the family as usual, retire myself to my room at 10 o’clock, commend myself to my Heavenly Father, lie down to rest, and wake up in glory.” (Today in the Word, March 1989, p. 40.)
    Wouldn’t that be a great way to live?
    We are faced with a decision as a church. As individuals and families, we want to make a difference (and make decisions) that lasts beyond our lifetimes. We want to see God work through us to bring others to himself and to help them grow as followers of Jesus Christ. In order to have the greatest impact for the kingdom of God with your life, we must be in the habit of being led by the Spirit of God.

[Review] I. Because God led Paul and his team to Macedonia, Lydia and others had the opportunity to come to faith in Jesus, as the first few of many throughout the Aegean Sea area (including Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus).
A. Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (15:36-41)
B. Telling the message of the Jerusalem Council, seeing churches grow, and adding Timothy to the team (16:1-5)
C. Leading and direction west to Macedonia (16:6-10)
    Paul and his team intended to go elsewhere, closer to home. In fact, Ephesus was a very logical next place. But God decisively led them to the region of Macedonia, and to the city of Philippi.
    For Paul:
1st No – A wise desire, a closed door (no permission), so they pressed on.
2nd No – A wise desire, another closed door (again, no permission), so they again pressed on.
Then, yes – A dream, an open door, with permission / confirmation, followed by immediate obedience.
    F. F. Bruce wrote, “The missionary journeys of Paul exhibit an extraordinary combination of strategic planning and keen sensitiveness to the guidance of the Spirit of God, whether that guidance took the form of an inward prompting or the overruling of external circumstances” (Acts, NICNT, 325).
D. Initial result – the faith of Lydia and her household (16:11-15)
    Lydia was a God-fearer, and when she heard the message from Paul and the team, God opened her heart to accept the message, and she demonstrated her faith in her desire to support Paul and his team in their ministry.

II. If you want to make a difference for the kingdom of God, it means being led by the Spirit of God, and demands a willingness to listen and obey. (How?)
We are on a mission, not on a vacation (Phil 1:27)

A. First and foremost, be pursuing God’s values and vision for your life, based on what God has gifted you to do.
    Paul was called to be a messenger of the gospel to the Gentiles. He was going about his business, looking for opportunities to share the gospel. It seems God gave him a lot of freedom in this. Hence, … (B.)

B. We must live wisely according to the counsel, principles and commands in the Scriptures.

C. We are called to plan and choose wisely.
    Planning is good. Paul did a lot of planning; a lot thought went into a good strategy to reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ (for example, the circumcision of Timothy in 16:1-5; see also 1 Cor 9:19-23).

D. Ask for, listen for and be open to God’s specific leading in your life.
    Allow God to close doors / change your plans, and be open to special opportunities and invitations from the Spirit of God.

    We can trust God to lead us as we live our lives, one step, one decision at a time (Ps 37:23, Gal 5:25). But we must submit our vision, our plans, our intentions to him and his will. James 4:13f.
    God seems to lead through the Spirit, through impressions, convictions, the “voice” of God in your heart and mind. This only works when we are filled with the Word, and have read it well, appropriately, and in context. It is interesting, by the way, that Paul ignored the prophecies and the advice telling him not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4, 10f.; note that his companions simply said, “the Lord’s will be done;” compare to 20:22, 23:11)
    Once everything else is in place, I suggest you pay attention to places where a need exists. God generally allows for flexibility as we follow his mission (flexibility about where we serve, assuming we are using our gifts). But God may override our basic plans, strategies, and intentions, and we have to be OK with that.
    “If our choices for places of ministry are equally acceptable to God, He probably will not steer us away from any of them as was true in Paul’s first missionary journey. We can go wherever we please. However if He does not want us in one or more of these places, I believe He will shut one or more doors for us as He did for Paul. Lewis S. Chafer used to say that God often guides us by bringing information to our attention that enlightens our judgment when we need to make decisions” (Constable, p. 211).

    (In what way was God at work in the difference of opinion between Paul and Barnabas over Mark, which may have led to the choice of Timothy to fill the need left by Mark’s absence (would he have been passed over if Mark was on the journey?)? Presumably, the course of Timothy’s life was changed as a result of his opportunity with Paul.).

E. Trust God to work in the hearts of other people whom he is leading to himself.
    God is at work in the bigger picture to grow his church, to bring people to himself (seen in his leadership of Lydia). Again, observe the significance of Macedonia in relation to Paul’s letters (Philippians, Corinthians, Thessalonians; he would also go back east to Ephesus on this trip; see 18:19, 23).
    Because of Paul’s sensitivity to God’s calling and his obedience to that call, the church grew and was significantly enriched, even today.

John 4:27-42: A lesson from Jesus’ meeting with the woman at the well

Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well was the second direct evangelism experience in John, and the first cross-cultural outreach.

The disciples were shocked, surprised (but respectful of Jesus as their Teacher). Why the surprise? She was a woman, a Samaritan woman, and she was even an immoral Samaritan woman!

Then, a question of Jesus’ priority, his “food.” What mattered to Jesus was people coming to faith. He would rather see people come to believe in him than to eat.

The harvest – people were coming (literally); the fields were ready to harvest, and the disciples were invited to get involved, even though the whole experience made them uncomfortable.

God loves the world, so John the Apostle says (John 3:16). He also says that Christians are not to love the world - if they do, the love of the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15).

“The impression is rather strong that if people love the world, they remain under God’s wrath: the love of the Father is not in them. The dissonance, of course, is merely formal. There is a ready explanation. But this formal dissonance reminds us yet again that the ways the Bible speaks of something are diverse and contextually controlled.

“God’s love for the world is commendable because it manifests itself in awesome self-sacrifice; our love for the world is repulsive when it lusts for evil participation. God’s love for the world is praiseworthy because it brings the transforming gospel to it; our love for the world is ugly because we seek to be conformed to the world. God’s love for the world issues in certain individuals being called out from the world and into the fellowship of Christ’s followers; our love for the world is sickening where we wish to be absorbed into the world.

audio link

God has a dream for the church in Otego, for this group of believers.

   “I remember a Peanuts strip in which Peppermint Patty said to Linus, ‘I should be an evangelist. Today I convinced a kid that my religion was better than his.’ Linus responds, ‘How did you do that?’ Peppermint Patty says, ‘I hit him with my lunchbox.’”    Gangel, Coaching Ministry Teams, p. 147. 

    We can’t do that to get people to come to faith in Jesus. We have to lovingly, respectfully share Jesus with them, and we have to provide in here an atmosphere where they can come and understand what we are doing and saying, and can hear the message of Jesus for themselves.

1 Peter 3:15 - we should be ready to tell about our hope in Christ, with gentleness and respect. Let’s not give them any additional reasons to reject Jesus. Spoken to a people suffering for the name of Jesus.

Review
Strengths:
We can be friendly to guests and loving toward one another. We can have quality worship and quality preaching. We believe in good doctrine and theology. We can have a quality program for kids.

Weaknesses:
The older a church is, the harder it for us to win large numbers of people to faith in Christ (it seems things that are new and fresh to you are easier to share with others; when you are new to the faith, it is natural to share it with others).
We are small, and we might be most comfortable being small.
We don’t have a lot of money, and we have a lot of needs re: the building and technology and parking. Not to mention money to spend on outreach and discipleship.

What are you afraid or unwilling to change, or allow to be changed, besides our basic core beliefs and message?

What are you willing and ready to change?

What role do think the facilities have on the church’s ability to grow in this community? (Not the main thing, but it is something.)

Ephesians 4:7-16 - we all have a gift to help the church grow (in numbers and in maturity).

1 Cor 15:9-11 – no complacency allowed!

Changes:

    Consider the church that voted that for someone to actively attend the church and be involved in it, they had to own property in the county, to prevent people who would come seasonally (from a local RV park) from having input and possibly changing the way they did things. A church consultant went back later and found the church building occupied by a restaurant that served the people of the Rvpark.

Why might we have to change some things on the inside to reach those on the outside?
    1 Corinthians 14:23-25 - what happens on the inside must be intelligible to outsiders who come in. And may what is revealed be that God is really among us!
    1 Corinthians 14:23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

There is a cost to making changes; there is a greater cost to not changing.

When you visit another church, you go realizing that it is perfectly OK for that church to do things differently than your church. Why not also be as flexible with your own church?

Review re: ch. 15
If God doesn’t want us “troubling” unbelievers with the Law of Moses (Acts 15), we ought not trouble them with our “mere” preferences!

What did someone sacrifice so you could find Christ and start growing in him? What are you willing to sacrifice for someone else? (asked before).